A Colorado Springs man accused of killing a pedestrian in a hit-and-run in March and then using a child as a human shield to evade capture has been sentenced.
Dominic Rodriguez was sentenced to eight years in the Department of Corrections (DOC), plus three years on mandatory parole, for leaving the scene of a crash that killed 28-year-old Patrick McCarthy. He also received a six-year DOC sentence with two years of forced parole for second-degree kidnapping. He was condemned on four counts today. The sentences will be served simultaneously, according to the court.
According to investigators, the fatal incident occurred on South Circle Drive when McCarthy was struck while crossing the street. Police claim Rodriguez drove away from the incident, leaving the victim behind.
Police allege that when they found Rodriguez just blocks away, he tried to avoid arrest by using a tiny boy as a human shield. Officers were able to safely retrieve the infant before putting Rodriguez in prison.
Inside the courtroom, McCarthy’s parents discussed the night’s lasting impact.
“He left our son in pieces along the road.”
“We missed the future we were supposed to get with him.”
Rodriguez, seated and chained, read from a handwritten letter on yellow-lined paper addressed to the family directly.
“From the bottom of my heart, I wish this were a dream… I am sincerely sorry.”
The judge described Rodriguez’s acts as “beyond the worst mistake you can make,” and added that he poses a threat to the community.
Rodriguez’s defense attorney stated that Rodriguez accepts responsibility and emphasized his experience in the state’s child care system, claiming he is expressing contrition in the greatest way possible.
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